Arab FMs Demand from New York Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza 

(L-R) United Arab Emirates' Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit attend a stakeout as part of a United Nations Security Council meeting called to address the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in New York, New York, US, 24 October 2023. (EPA)
(L-R) United Arab Emirates' Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit attend a stakeout as part of a United Nations Security Council meeting called to address the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in New York, New York, US, 24 October 2023. (EPA)
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Arab FMs Demand from New York Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza 

(L-R) United Arab Emirates' Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit attend a stakeout as part of a United Nations Security Council meeting called to address the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in New York, New York, US, 24 October 2023. (EPA)
(L-R) United Arab Emirates' Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit attend a stakeout as part of a United Nations Security Council meeting called to address the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in New York, New York, US, 24 October 2023. (EPA)

Arab foreign ministers meeting in New York demanded on Tuesday an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the lifting of the siege on the Palestinian enclave.

A ministerial-level Arab Group meeting was held at the headquarters of Saudi Arabia's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.

Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Palestinian FM Riyad Al-Maliki, Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and FM Dr. Ayman Safadi, Egypt’s FM Sameh Shoukry, Algeria’s FM Ahmed Attaf, Libya’s acting FM Taher Salem Al-Baour, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Noura Al-Kaabi and Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit attended the meeting.

Prince Faisal said: “We are here with one message: violence is not a solution. The lives of all civilians deserve to be protected and this includes the Palestinians in Gaza.”

He demanded that Israel lift the siege off Gaza and that parties return to the peace process. “A real serious approach is need to end the suffering of the Palestinian people,” he urged.

“Just peace will never be achieved if the international community does not meet its commitments and resolve the Palestinian situation,” he went on to say.

“Without peace, there can be no real security in our region,” Prince Faisal added, condemning the killing of any civilians.

He hoped that the international community would come together to work for peace.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the meeting was part of joint Arab coordination over the developments in Gaza.

The meeting tackled the situation in Gaza and the surrounding regions. The gatherers reviewed Arab efforts in this regard and coordination against the Israeli military escalation.



Reports: US to Withdraw All Troops from Syria

A US Army patrol in the Syrian city of Qamishli (Reuters file photo)
A US Army patrol in the Syrian city of Qamishli (Reuters file photo)
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Reports: US to Withdraw All Troops from Syria

A US Army patrol in the Syrian city of Qamishli (Reuters file photo)
A US Army patrol in the Syrian city of Qamishli (Reuters file photo)

The United States is planning to withdraw all of its 1,000 troops from Syria over the next two months, according to US media reports.

Washington will end its presence in the country after the Syrian government extended its control over the country and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces once key to fighting ISIS pledged to integrate into the state, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Television network CBS also reported on the plan, citing unnamed US officials.

The decision comes after US forces recently withdrew from some bases
in Syria including Al-Tanf and Al-Shadadi, which were used in the US-led international coalition's fight against ISIS, AFP reported.

The US is building up its military capabilities near Iran, where officials have vowed to respond to any attack by laying siege to American military outposts in the region.

US media reported Wednesday that Washington will be ready to launch strikes against Iran as early as this weekend, though Trump has reportedly not made a final decision yet.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


Canada Eases Sanctions on Syria

13 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, arrives at the Bavarian Hof for the 62nd Munich Security Conference. Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa
13 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, arrives at the Bavarian Hof for the 62nd Munich Security Conference. Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa
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Canada Eases Sanctions on Syria

13 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, arrives at the Bavarian Hof for the 62nd Munich Security Conference. Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa
13 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, arrives at the Bavarian Hof for the 62nd Munich Security Conference. Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa

Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand said on Wednesday that Canada had amended its economic sanctions on Syria ‌to ease ‌restrictions related ‌to the ⁠import and export ⁠of goods, investment activities and the provision of financial and other ⁠services, according to Reuters.

"The amendments also ‌remove ‌24 entities and ‌one individual from ‌the Syria Regulations to reduce barriers to economic activity and ‌to enable transactions with state-affiliated entities ⁠in ⁠key sectors critical to Syria’s recovery," Anand said in a statement.


Tetteh: Despite UN Engagement, No Progress in Libya Roadmap

Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh Getty)
Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh Getty)
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Tetteh: Despite UN Engagement, No Progress in Libya Roadmap

Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh Getty)
Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh Getty)

The UN’s top envoy for Libya, Hanna Tetteh, has informed the Security Council that despite active United Nations engagement, the Libyan House of Representatives and the High Council of State have failed to make progress on the first steps of the agreed political roadmap, including establishing a mechanism to select the board of the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) and advancing electoral legislation.

Briefing the Council in New York on Wednesday, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General said: “Their inability to use their agreed mechanism and follow-on unilateral actions has further eroded their credibility."

Tetteh added that Libyan public perceptions reflect a growing belief that the bodies are “unable or unwilling” to deliver.

She told Council members that she has begun consultations with key actors on an alternative two-step approach aimed at restoring momentum. Should a smaller group of Libyan representatives fail to agree on the roadmap’s milestones, she warned, a broader convening would be required. “We cannot wait indefinitely,” she emphasized.

The UN envoy also issued a stark warning about escalating tensions within Libya’s judicial system.

She said “contradictory, parallel judicial decisions put into jeopardy the unity of the legal and judicial systems,” cautioning that the situation “is a red line that if crossed can undermine the unity of the state.”

She urged Libyan leaders to refrain from further escalatory steps and called on the Council to hold accountable those taking actions that threaten to fracture the judiciary.

Tetteh also warned that transnational criminal networks continue to expand, turning Libya into a major transit hub for drug trafficking and sustaining illicit economies linked to corruption and armed groups.